Huge turnout and a new Italian record were recorded at the Coelmo Napoli City Half Marathon yesterday, February 22, 2026, which brought Naples to life with over 10.000 runners and celebrated Trentino native Yeman Crippa, reigning European Half Marathon Champion, who ran an extraordinary 59:01.
The event, which quickly sold out, welcomed 5.230 international athletes from 117 countries. The largest delegations were the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany; there was a significant non-European presence, with runners from Argentina, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Australia, India, and South Korea. Italian participation was significant, with 1.830 athletes from Campania and strong contributions from Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, and Sicily. The female participation rate was also notable: 3.200 women took part, above the national average for this discipline.
Fast Walkers also fueled the event's massive turnout. The Napoli Running organization accommodated the needs of those who practice fitness walking, promoting this discipline and increasing the race time limit from 3:00 to 3:30. This prestigious Neapolitan event also featured pacemakers from the Partenope Pace Team, coordinated by Federica Romano, who accompanied participants at a steady pace toward the finish line, with target times of 2:30, 2:45, 3:00, and 3:30, allowing everyone to express their energy.
The event and its results further confirm the sporting vocation of the city of Naples. In the year of its prestigious title of World Capital of Sport 2026, on Sunday it transformed into the world running capital thanks to an impeccable organizational structure. A total of 900 people were employed to ensure the smooth running of the event: 460 volunteers, 180 police officers, 36 pacers, and, new this year, eight running doctors, present along the entire route to ensure timely intervention by running alongside the competing athletes.
Napoli Running, which for years has expressed its philosophy through the now-famous slogan "All runners are beautiful," doesn't measure the success of this event solely in terms of numbers and records, nor solely in terms of its international reach or the tourism and economic impact it generates. Its motto reflects the event's inclusive identity, which this year has been enriched with a project with strong social and solidarity values, using running as a genuine tool for well-being and participation: "We run again." This deeply emotional initiative, rich in human stories that see running as the key to straightening out a life path derailed by mistakes.
The two side events of the Coelmo Napoli City Marathon provided the ideal setting for social participation. On Saturday, February 21st, the Family Run & Friends allowed ten inmates from Secondigliano prison to tackle the 2km course with their families, husbands, or children. Yesterday, February 22nd, it was the turn of the Hyundai Relay, the 10km + 11,0975km solidarity relay, which represented a chance for redemption for four inmates. Strengthened by their determination and supported by the cheering of their fellow inmates, they chose to run, betting on sport as a way to regain balance and dignity.
Napoli Running promoted this project with the support of Sport e Salute, involving inmates at the Secondigliano prison. This idea became a reality thanks to the synergy between the prison, the legal and educational officials, the educators, and the technical resources of Napoli Running, the beating heart of the training programs.
The protagonists of this significant opportunity are two young brothers who, before the legal snafu, were on their way to promising football careers. Thanks to the Hyundai Relay, they have been able to relive the joys of a happy moment in their lives. Antonio, a florist and gardener by family tradition, with a high school diploma and a future degree under his belt, has come to understand his mistakes while in prison and is preparing to build a new life with his partner. Michele, on the other hand, has a genuine history as a marathon runner: the mistakes that led to his sentence deprived him of this sport, but the solidarity relay has restored his taste for competition. Yesterday, he was finally able to rediscover the joy of running and winning a medal.
The Coelmo Napoli City Half Marathon thus appeared to be a perfectly matched and carefully composed mosaic, a special edition where values, inclusion, and emotion prevailed. But there were also some impressive technical results, starting with the extraordinary first-place finisher, who, along with the second and third place finishers, made up a podium entirely under the hour mark.
MEN'S RESULTS
- 1st Yeman Crippa (Italy) - 59:01 Second best European performance ever and seventh best World Cup performance of the 2026 season.
- 2nd Andrea Kiptoo (Kenya) - 59:27
- 3rd Owen Korir Kapkama (Kenya) - 59:42
- 4th Pietro Riva (GS Fiamme Oro Padova) - 1h00: 32
- 5th Giovanni Susca (Cisternino Ecolservizi Amateur Athletics) - 1h04: 16
WOMEN'S RESULTS
- 1st Lucy Nthenya Ndambuki (Kenya) - 1h08: 48
- 2nd Nelly Jeptoo (Kenya) - 1h09: 26
- 3rd Susanna Saapunki (Finland) - 1h10: 35
Italian podium
- Sara Bottarelli (Free Zone) - 1h14: 11 sixth overall and first Italian
Followed by: Gaia Gagliardi (Saluzzo Athletics) - 1h15: 52 e Rebecca Volpe (ASD Carmax Camaldolese) - 1h17: 55
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
Great event, lots of participants, but the organization was a bit confusing, especially at the bib collection point. The line was slow, and the volunteers seemed distracted. The Coelm Napoli City Half Marathon seemed truly international, and there were also some nice social initiatives. However, some details remained unfinished, and not all the pacers were synchronized.